Jerry Seib: Immigration Reform on the Agenda Again

4/18/2014 6:00AM

The President has resurrected the issue of immigration reform this spring but it is already off to another rocky start. However, the strategy for Democrats may not be to win action, but to broadcast an issue that they can run on in this year's election.

This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.

the ... somewhat out of the blue Immigration Reform reared its head again this week in Washington it's a topic that had been heard from from role for awhile it's worth looking at what's going on behind the scenes to explain this ... first of all what happened well the White House press statement this week saying that a year ago the Senate ... introduced legislation to comprehensively reform the immigration system ... that passed the Senate ... in the White House statement took were House Republicans to task for not picking up the bill passing it they're ... in pretty tough language ... then the president called Eric Cantor the number two Republican in the house they have a conversation ... Kinder spankin to put out his own statement about the president's views on immigration also using pre tough language saying presence in the criticizing people he's trying to get things done with ... out that's not helpful at all and prop putting a server downward cast on where integration was headed ... what's really going on behind the scenes here why think several things one is ... I think the White House doesn't believe that there is a chance to be sure to get immigration reform done in the chance comes about now because they they have fought for a while in the White House e in in the in in Congress actually that is there's going to be a moment in movie was in the now when primary deadline filing ... deadlines have passed ... and Republicans in the house this year with their own to face ... challenges in the primaries potentially ... from people who would be critical of them if they support immigration reform ... the Bombers past it so this might be the time when some ... Republicans who are skittish for my doing the sign on to immigration reform ... and secondly the journal will be reporting ... in Friday's paper that ... House Speaker John Binner and some other Republican leaders have been telling donors ... and industry officials were in favor of immigration reform ... they still intend to try to move some legislation this year ... this is not dead yet ... and third and and and finally if nothing happens I still think is a good chance something will happen ... the White House certainly was to have an issue even if it can have an immigration bill which is to say ... he was to take credit for trying analysts make sure Republicans are the ones blamed if nothing happens ...